Heating element and support therefor



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HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed July 1, 1944 -iry PatentedMar. 30, 1948 HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Benjamin Spieth,Racine, Wis.,

assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application July 1, 1944, Serial No. 543,117

Claims. 1

This invention relates to heating elements and supports therefor, andmore particularly, it r lates to heating elements for convectionheaters, where economy in the cost of manufacture and a minimum ofnumber of fabricated parts are of importance.

The subject matter of this application is a continuation in part of myapplication for patent on Heating element, filed September 2, 1943,under Serial No. 500,876.

Heating elements of the character employed in convection heaters andother heaters employ fluid conducting tubes connected to headers, one ofwhich is connected to a steam or hot water supply pipe. When a tw -pipesystem is employed, each header is connected to a pipe, one to a supplypipe and the other to the return pipe.

Due to the nature of the heating element, it is usually constructed oflight gage and comparatively expensive materials, such as copper andbrass. Therefore, in order to provide strength and sufiicient rigidityto resist external piping strains, it is necessary to build as rigid aconstruction as possible while, at the same time,

.said brackets also serving to steady and give added support to theheaders.

Another object is the provision of a heating element as above set forthwith side plates extending between the brackets and rigidly securedthereto.

Another object is the provision of a heating element and supporttherefor as above set forth which can be constructed economically, iseasily assembled and capable of being readily installed in a cabinet.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this inventionconsists in the several novel features hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

One embodiment of the invention is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the heating element and support therefor showing itsapplication to a convection heater cabinet (partly broken away), theview being partially in front elevation and partially in verticallongitudinal section;

2 Fig. 2 is a fragmental horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective view of the heating element andsupport therefor;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmental view of a certain supporting bracket and sideplate, partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section showing amodified form of connection between the supporting bracket and sideplate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.4; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating another form ofconnection between the supporting bracket and side plate.

Referring to said drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, thereference character it] designates a cabinet in which air is heated bypassing upward through the heating element and is discharged into theroom or other space in which the heater is located.

The cabinet may be open at its lower end for the admission of air, and adamper controlledauxiliary air inlet (not shown) may be provided in awall of the cabinet above the heating element whereby the temperature ofthe outgoing air may be regulated. An air discharge opening Spot weldedor otherwise rigidly secured .to the side walls ill-i4 of the cabinetand extending from one front wall 5 I to the rear wall l3 thereof, arebracket members 35- desirably composed of sheet metal, each bent up toprovide a vertical flange 36 for securement to the adjacent side wallI4, a horizontal portion 38 and an inwardly spaced depending portion 37.To the depending portions 37 of the bracket members are rigidly securedupright members 33 of angle or L-shaped fins or plates 2i-2l which serveas supporting brackets, as by bolts and nuts 39 or the like, and thehorizontal flanges 34 of said supporting brackets are formed with holes,3aeach for the reception of the lower end of one of said headersdesignated generally by the reference characters iii-20. The headers fitin the holes in the horizontal flanges 34 and, as a, result, are

' pipe system,

given added support. The center lines of the headers are substantiallyparallel with the airoctagonal, hexagonal or other many sided externalconfiguration adapted to be readily grasped by a mechanic's wrench. Theends of the header tube are made square and the bore or cavity in thetube is cylindrical and of such a diameter that its ends need only to betapped to provide screw threads 61 for the reception of a pipe fltting24 or 24a or a screw .plug 25 or 25a, or any other threaded member thatmay be required for use in connection with the heating element. The pipefitting 24, associated with the header It, may be connected in the usualmanner to a steam or hot water supply pipe 28, and the screw plug 25closes the lower end of the header. In a twoan elbow 24a is screwed intothe lower end of the threaded bore in the header 20 and is connectedwith a return pipe 30. In a single pipe system, the supply pipe isconnected to one of the headers, whose upper end is closed by a screwplug, and the upper and lower ends of the other header are closed byscrew plugs. When an air valve 3| is required,itinaybe"attached to theupper end of the header tube 20 when used in connection with a two-pipesystem, or it may be connected with the header at the end of the heatingelement which is opposite the inlet-outlet, when used in connection witha single pipe system.

Fluid conducting tubes l8-l8a extend between and connect the twoheaders. In the present embodiment of the invention, three tubes areshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the middle one, designated by the character [8,being disposed at a higher level than the tubes Ian and extending in astraight line between the two headers. The tubes l8a, throughout thegreater portion of their length, are straight and parallel with themiddle tube. On the straight portions of the tubes are secured heatradiating fins 22 and the supporting brackets 2| which also act as fins.

The sides of each header tube are drilled to provide holes at the placeswhere the tubes i8- I8a connect with them, as is indicated at 68 and 10.The holes 68 for the middle straight tube l8 are drilled in from thestraight sides of the header tubes which face each other, and the holes10 for the adjacent ends of the tubes 18a may be drilled in the sides ofeach header tube that extend at right angles of the axis of the holes 68and at a lower level. At one end of the heating element the end portionsof the tubes 18a are bent along arcuate lines to provide elbows 14, theextremities of which are inserted into the holes 10 of the header tubei9. Separate elbows may be provided to connect the other ends of thetubes 1811 with the other header tube as shown. It is to be understoodthat the seamless header tubes, the fluid conducting tubes and the finsare brazed together or otherwise integrally united in accordance withthe common practice.

Separate elbows 15 are provided at one or the ends of the tubes Ilia topermit the fins to be slipped upon the tubes in assembling the heatingelement.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, 7

the ends 01 the supporting brackets 2| are formed with flanges 2 la, towhich are rigidly secured side plates II which extend along the ends ofthe fins 22 and are formed with inturned flanges 18 that project overthe edge portions of the fins and supporting members. The side plates TIand supporting brackets 2| provide a box-like enclosure for the sidesand ends of the tube and fin assembly. The tubes extend through flangedopenings 2| in the supporting brackets, and may be metallically bondedthereto, thus obtaining a firm, vibrationless connection with theheating elements. In accordance with the preferred form illustrated, theside plates 11 are spot welded to the flanges 2l'a as shown at X, thusforming a totally rigid structure of light weight and economical inproduction.

The holes 34a in the flanges 34 of the supporting brackets are of thesame configuration as the headers, preferably non-circular, thuspreventing rotation of the headers when pipes or other fittings arebeing screwed into the headers, thereby preventing injury to the lightgage tubes. The flanges 34 also serve as baiiles to prevent the passageof air upward at the ends of the heating element.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, theconnection between the supporting bracket 2") and side plate 11b isformed by ears 2 to on the ends of the supporting bracket, which earsextend through slots 'llc in the side plate, and are bent over afterassembly to provide a rigid structure.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 6, the supporting bracket 21dis notched adjacent its ends as at Me, and the side plate lid is formedwith top and bottom flanges 18d that have inturned edge portions 186which engage in the notches Me. Similar notches may be formed in the endportions of the fins and the side plates may b slid into place andanchored full length. If desired, they may be spot welded or otherwiserigidly secured to the supporting brackets.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of header used, itis to be understood that other types of headers may be employed and,therefore, I do not wish to limit myself to the specific header shown.

From the above description, it is apparent that a strong, sturdy andrigid support is provided for the weaker tubes and fins, that the partsare easily assembled and may be readily installed in a cabinet.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement andcombination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heating element and support therefor comprising, in combination,headers whose center lines are substantially parallel to the air flowthrough the element, fluid carrying tubes extending from header toheader, fins traversing said tubes, flanged supporting brackets throughwhich the fluid carrying tubes extend, the flanges of the supportingbrackets having holes therein to receive an endof each header, andflanged side plates extending along the ends of the fins with theirflanges projecting over the top and bottom edges of the fins.

2. A heating element and support therefor comprising, in combination,headers whose center lines are substantially parallel to the air fiowthrough the element, fluid carrying tubes extending from header toheader, fins traversing said tubes, flanged supporting brackets throughwhich the fluid carrying tubes extend. the flanges of.

the supporting brackets having holes therein to receive an end of eachheader, and flanged side plates extending along the ends of the fins,with their flanges projecting over the top and bottom edges of the fins,said flanges terminating in inturned edges that are received in notchesin the top and bottom edges of the fins.

3. A heating element and support therefor comprising spaced tubular manysided headers, a plurality of fluid conducting tubes connecting saidheaders, a multiplicity of heat radiating fins and a pair of supportingbrackets secured upon said tubes, said brackets having horizontallyextending flanges each formed with a hole of the same size and shape asthe headers in cross section to receive the lower end of a header, andoppositely disposed bracket members adapted to be rigidly secured towalls of a cabinet and having offset downwardly depending portionssecured to said supporting brackets and forming the support for theheating element. v

4. A heating element and support therefor comprising, in combination,headers whose center lines are substantially parallel to the air flowthrough the element, fluid carrying tubes extending from header toheader, fins traversing said tubes, flanged supporting brackets throughwhich the fluid carrying tubes extend, the flange of each supportingbracket having a hole therein to receive an end of a header, and sideplates extending along the edges of the fins, and rigidly secured tosaid supporting brackets.

5. A heating element and support therefor comprising, in combination,headers whose center lines are substantially parallel to the air flowthrough the element, fluid carrying tubes extending from header toheader, fins traversing said tubes, flanged supporting brackets throughwhich the fluid carrying tubes extend, the flange of each supportingbracket having a hole therein to receive an end of a header, saidsupporting brackets having vertical flanges at their ends, and flangedside plates extending along the ends of the fins with their flangesprojecting over the top and bottom edges of the fins, said side platesbeing rigidly secured to said vertical flanges of the supportingbrackets.

BENJAMIN SPIE'IH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

